Health claims and WIC

Making a whole-grain health claim can also open the door to 9 million consumers participating in the US Department of Agriculture’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, according to Nick Pyle, president, Independent Bakers Association. For bread to be considered an eligible purchase under WIC, whole-wheat must be the first ingredient listed, and it must meet all the qualifications for the whole-grain health claim. For bread’s 50-g reference amount customarily consumed (RACC), a WIC-qualified whole-grain bread must have no more than 1 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol or 6.5 g total fat. It also must have quantitative trans fat labeling and no more than 0.5 g trans fat per RACC.

“It’s not something [WIC participants] would buy typically in their income level if they weren’t able to buy it through the WIC program,” Mr. Pyle said. “So this is a great opportunity for people to try whole-grain breads and not have to buy it out of their personal budgets.”